1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to beverage coolers, and more particularly pertains to a beverage cooler of the type utilized for holding and cooling individual beverage cans and bottles. Various types of beverage coolers for individual beverage containers have been widely used. One common form utilizes a styrofoam cup for surrounding a beverage can. The problem with such rigid coolers is that they do not adequately hold the can and are not adaptable for use with different standard sized beverage containers, for example 12 ounce cans and 16 ounce bottles. In order to overcome this problem, the present invention provides an expandable body adaptable for both of these different standard sized beverage containers and including a plurality of encapsulated refrigerant filled receptacles for cooling the beverage container contents for a relatively long amount of time.
1. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of beverage coolers are known in the prior art. A typical example of such a beverage cooler is to be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,357,809, which issued to E. Held et al on Nov. 9, 1982. This patent discloses a beverage cooler having an inner receptacle defined by a closed bottom end, an open upper end and generally cylindrical side wall. A gel refrigerant is encapsulated within the cylindrical side wall of the receptacle for cooling the contents. The cooler is formed from a rigid non expandable material and is not adaptable for use with various different sizes of beverage containers. U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,422, which issued to J. Gordon et al on May 17, 1983, discloses an insulated holder for beverage containers having a generally cup-shaped open top compartment for receiving a chilled beverage container, dimensioned such that the side walls of the holder are spaced from the container side walls through the major portion of the length of the compartment. A flexible sealing member engages the side walls of the beverage container at the upper end of the compartment to form an air tight sealed insulating space within the compartment. Additional insulation is provided in the walls of the holder. The lower portion of the holder may include a separate compartment which stores a refrigerant which engages the bottom of the beverage container in conductive heat transfer relation. U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,665, which issued to J. Gardner et al on July 19, 1983, discloses a server for wine bottles which includes a cup-shaped receptacle having a side wall formed from a heat conductive metal and a bottom ice receptacle in contact with a bottom surface of an inserted wine bottle. U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,815, which issued to P. Basso on May 21, 1985, discloses an insulated modular cooler including a plurality of tubular housing sections connected by cooperating threads in end to end relation. A refrigerant may be encapsulated in the cylindrical side walls of the housing sections. U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,454, which issued to L. Campbell on Feb. 18, 1986, discloses a double walled drinking vessel having a heat maintenance chamber between an inner and outer transparent wall. A fluid is placed between the walls and this fluid is either heated or cooled depending upon the beverage that is to be served in the vessel.
While the above mentioned devices are suited for their intended usage, none of these devices disclose a beverage cooler for holding and cooling an individual beverage container which is formed from an expandable material for use with various different sizes of beverage containers. Inasmuch as the art is relatively crowded with respect to these various types of beverage coolers, it can be appreciated that there is a continuing need for and interest in improvements to such beverage coolers, and in this respect, the present invention addresses this need and interest.